Electric switch



Sept. 13, 1932. w'. SCHMIC) ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Aug. 8, 1930 Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE WILLIAM SCHMID, OF BRON'SON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB TO HARFY A. DOUGLAS,

. BBONSON, MICHIGAN EECTBIC SWITCH Application filed AugustB, 1930. Serial No. 473,872. I

My invention relates to switches employing reci rocable handles and has for its general ob ect the provision of a construction whereby the dimensions of such a switch may be reduced along its axis of movement. Hitherto guiding sleeves have been required for'directing the movements of the recipro cable handles and these sleeves I am able to replace by an element of very short length, measured along the axis of switch movement by means of the structure of my invention, whereby the switch structure is made very compact and is more .adaptable to certain 10- cations aifording restricted room.

In accordance with my invention, I employ a guiding element having two angula-r1 related branches, one of these branches 1 interengaging formations having a hole therethrough through which the handle passes and which may be of small dimension along the handle, so that the bandle may be a correspondingly reduced length. The handle carries a contact actuator, this actuator and the other guide branch having positioned. to guide the handle and direct its movement together with the movement of the actuator thereon. The switch includes a spring contact that is desirably mounted apart from the actuator and which presses the actuator toward the part that guides its movement. This spring is desirably a leaf spring, the actuator and spring having interengaging formations whereby the actuator and the. handle are held in alternative positions'in which they are placed to open and close the switch. A casing is desirably employed for enclosing the switch, the actuator and the inner end of the handle, two contiguous angularly related walls of the casing constituting a guiding element for the handle and actuator.

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a view mainly in longitudinal section, parts being shown in elevation; Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to the direction at which Fig. 1 is taken, parts being shown in section and parts in elevation; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating component parts of the structure inseparated relation. 1

The casing illustrated preferabl includes a generally cylindrical wall Iran a second wall 2 which is angular to the first and constitutes therewith. a switch receptaclefof cup formation. The wall 1 is formed with prongs 3 which are passed through notches in the closure wall 4 and which'are clinched into engagement with the outer flat face of said closure wall, whereby this wall and the" cup part of the casing are held in assembly. The casing wall 4 desirabl constiutes the contact carrier of the switc structure. The circuit wires 5 and 6 are illustrated, these wires being clamped within the larger portions of the metallic sleeves 7 and 8 respectively by means of binding screws 9-and 10. The reduced portions of these sleeves pass snugly through holes that are formed in the wall t andare riveted at their inner ends to ,form flanges 11 and 12 which clamp said wall against the larger portions of the sleeves. Metallic leaf Springs 13 and 14 are penetrated by the ref duced ends of the sleeves andare clamped against the wall 4 by the flanges 11 and 12 respectively. Said springs are formed with angular tails 15 and 16 that are receivedwithin recesses in the wall 4 to prevent these springs from being turned upon their mountings. 'The unmounted ends of the springsare brought together to close the vfcircuit, by the means to be described, the resilience of the spring 13 being suflicient to separate it from the spring 14 when the circuit closing influ-i ence is removed. The cylindrical Wall of the casing cup and the bottom wall 2 of such cup.

constitute two angularly related branches of a guiding element. The shank 17 on the handle 18 passes through an opening that is preferably formed at the center of the wall 2, the portion of this wall that margins said opening being desirably outwardly continued to pass through any suitable mounting such as the panel 19, this cont nuation of said Well being finally outwardly deflected to form a flange 20 that clamps the wall 2 against the mounting 19. The handle carries a contact actuator 21 upon its inner end. As the handle is preferably made of metal and as the Contact actuator desirably has direct engagement with the contact 13, such actuator is made of insulation, being clamped in place between the flange 22 upon the inner end of the handle 5 and the shoulder 23 on the handle. Said contact actuator has a formation which is preferably a notch 24 in its periphery whichtakes part in guiding the movement of the handle and the actuator. The cylindrical wall of the casing is formed with a rib 25 that extends in the direction of movement of the handle and which enters the notch 24 and cooperates with the contact actuator and the opening in the wall 2 t-o guide the handle and the actuator. The unmounted end of the leaf spring 13 is engaged bya tongue 26. The unmounted end portion of the spring 13 desirably slopes to constitute a cam formation that cooperates with the actuator in effecting a depression of the unmounted end of this spring against the unmounted end of the spring 14 when the handle is moved inwardly whereby the circuit ,is closed. When the handle is moved outwardly the spring 13, of its own resilience, will rise to become separated from its engagement with the spring 14. The contact actuator and the leaf spring 13 are provided with interengaging formations whereby the spring serves to hold the actuator together with the handle in the alternative switch adjusting positions to which these parts are placed. These interengaging formations are the aforesaid tongue 26 and the inclined unmounted end of the spring 13 which cooperate to hold the switch in a circuit opening adjustment and the hump 27 over which the tongue 26 rides and which serves to hold this tongue and the actuator carrying it from forward movement when the switch is in a circuit closing adujstment.

Changes may be made without departing from the. invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a guiding element having two angularly related branches; of ahandle passing through and reciprocable within a hole formed in one of said branches; and an electric switch having a contact actuator on said handle, said actuator and the other guide branch having interengaging formations positioned to guide the handle and direct movement of said actuator angularly to the first mentioned guidingelement branch, the actuator controlled contact being a leaf spring contact mounted apart from the actuator and pressing said interengaging formations together.

2. The cijmibination with a casing having two coi' tiguous'angularly related walls constituting a guiding element having two angularly related branches; of a handle passingvthrough and reciprocable within a hole formed in one of said walls; and an electric switch in said casing having a contact actuator on said handle the handle and actuator being loosely mounted in the casing, said actuator and the other of said angularly related walls having interengaging formations positioned to guide the handle and direct movement of said actuator angularly to the first mentioned wall, the actuator controlled contact being a spring contact mounted apart from the actuator and pressing the same toward the second mentioned wall.

3. The combination with a casing having two contiguous angularly related walls con- .stituting a guiding element having two angularly related branches; of a handle passing through and reciprocable within a hole formed in one of said walls; and an electric switch in said casing having a contact actuator on said handle, said actuator and the other of said angularly related walls having interengaging formations positioned to guide the handle and direct movement of said actuator angularly to the first mentioned wall, the actuator controlled contact being a leaf spring contact mounted apart from the actuator and pressing the same toward the second mentioned wall.

4. The combination with a guiding element having two angularly related branches; of a handle passing through and reciprocable within a hole formed in one of said branches; and an electric switch having a contact actuator on said handle, said actuator and the other guide branch having interengaging' formations positioned to guide the handle and direct movement of said actuator angularly to the first mentioned guiding element branch, the actuator controlled contact being a leaf spring contact mounted apart from the actuator and pressing the same toward the second mentioned guiding element branch, said actuator and leaf spring having interengaging formations whereby the actuator and the handlecarrying it are held in alternative switch adjusting positions.

5. The combination with a casing having two contiguous angularly related walls constituting a guiding element having two angularly related branches; of a handle passing through and reciprocable within a hole formed in one of said walls; and an electric switch in said casing having a contact actuator on said handle, said actuator and the other of said angularly related walls having interengaging formations positioned to guide the handle and direct movement of said actuator angularly to the first mentionedwall. the actuator controlled conta t being a leaf spring contact mounted apart from the actuator and pressing the same toward the second mentioned wall, said actuator and leaf spring having intercngaging formations whereby the actuator and the handle carrying it are held in alternative switch adjust ing positions.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

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